COOPER GOES PRO

She turned you down for a date, eh?

I wish him the best but I am skeptical about how much he improves. Hope the pressure does not get to him and ridiculous expectations. He could retire from the sport in 15 years with a 1:41.27 PR, 1 second faster than his current PR and most will say that is dissapointing. Especially if he wins no world titles or Olympic titles

Even with the typo I agree! Kidding aside, you’re right. I hope that scenario never takes place or the kid will be ruined.

Don’t disagree and yet another reason to take the money now. The guy could run 1:43-1:44 every time out next year and it will be viewed as a disappointment. He can, like Yared this year, run the same race as his USATF 1:42 at the 28 OT and not make the Olympic team. Nothing at all is guaranteed, even if he improves.

For those reasons, he must take the money now. No different than Cooper Flagg or Michael Phelps. He is a top tier elite level prospect and that’s what pays.

And for the posters claiming 75K, they’re way off base. He is getting PAID.

Many of the negative posters - those that keep saying “…what if he never improves,” or “…this is Drew 2.0,” etc. actually come off as if they want Cooper to fail, as if nothing would please them more. Not all of the naysayers give this impression, but it is most of them. Strange people.

Going pro after college has also only worked out for a few. It’s a hard thing to do!

What else would you expect to see on Let'srun

It’s also only not worked out for a few. Very small sample size, Reese.

Cope harder, kid is in sub 1:42 shape

1:42.2 at the end of the rounds are you kidding!?

It's not exactly analogous, but Nike signed 20-year-old Tiger woods for $40 million in 1996. Most people thought Nike overpaid.

I don't know how anyone is critiquing this decision without knowing exactly what the contract looks like, specifically the guaranteed money.

Why are PRO contracts in Track and Field so secretive?
Juan Soto signs with the Mets, we pretty much know what he signed for.
In many PRO sports the terms of the contract are announced.
Do we not want kids who may be ultra talented in many sports that they can make a really good living running if in fact you can make a really good living running?
Track still seems so, I don’t know, behind and unprofessional. It’s almost like there is no desire to push it mainstream.

Probably the t&f pros and their agents themselves don't want it to be public knowledge.

...they don't want to be embarrassed.

Just because all of your “greats” are chemical experiments doesn’t mean you get to attack a kid.

I see the pu$$y snowflake mods took down my post after less than a minute.
Too many facts I guess. We can’t challenge their distorted worldview of the orange turd.

Dang, you losers cannot handle facts or any criticism. You are sad and weak.

forbes.com

Cooper Lutkenhaus, Rising 16-Year-Old Track Star, Turns Professional With Nike

Cory Mull

The Texas teenager opted to end his high school career and go pro with Nike.

Open link

This was posted this morning. I don't believe All Access didn't "break" the news.

This is exceedingly stupid advice. When you have the talent to be the greatest at your craft in human history, you shoot for the sky or crash and burn trying. The last thing any reasonable human being in his position would do is take his foot off the gas. Why risk mediocrity when you have the opportunity to be immortal?

*eliminate don't

He left flotrack because the track establishment sucks and TAA has been a solo project on his part. Hope he breaks more embargoes, love the guy.